Oil can drain stands



1 Feb. 12,1957

Filed Julgy 12, 1954 S. C. HOFACER OIL CAN DRAIN STANDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 s/naN c. omes:

- ATTORNE INVENTOR Feb. 12, 1957 s, c. HOFACER' on. CAN DRAIN STANDS f Filed July '12, 1954 INVENTOR United States Patent'O OIL CAN DRAIN STANDS Simon C. Hofacer, Oscoda, Mich.

Application July 12, 1954, Serial No. 442,583

6 Claims. (Cl. 141-106) This invention relates to oil can drain stands such as serve to salvage oil which, due to its viscosity, adheres in material quantities to the interior surfaces of cans after its main body has been discharged.

The invention is an improvement upon the disclosure of my Patent 2,600,770, issued June 17, 1952, wherein a hollow upright cylinder rotatively surmounting a cabinet exteriorly carries a plurality of trough-shaped oil can supports from which draining oil is delivered into the cylinder and thence to a vessel in the cabinet.

An object of the invention is to provide centrally at the bottom of said hollow cylinder a passage having an inlet enabling salvaged oil to drain through a pipe into said vessel.

Another object is to provide an improved means for rotatively mounting the cylinder on the cabinet.

Another object is to form the can-supporting troughs with terminal flanges by which they may easily be attached to said cylinder with great rigidity.

These and various other objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved drain stand.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a partial front elevation of the cylinder showing one of the arcuate slits in which the cam-supporting troughs are mounted.

in these views the reference character 1 designates a hollow base, illustrated as a cabinet having one or more doors 2, a top 3, and a bottom 4 accommodating an opentopped vessel 5 for salvaged oil as shown in dash lines (Fig. 3).

Surmounting the cabinet is a hollow upright cylinder 6, preferably sheet metal, closed at its top by a cap 7:: and at its bottom by a closure 7 having a central circular portion slightly depressed to form a sump in which drained oil may collect. The under surface of the depressed portion rotatively seats the cylinder on the top 3 of the cabinet.

At the axis of the cylinder is a rod 8 the upper end portion of which protrudes centrally through the cap 7a to receive a nut 7b securing the cap to the cylinder. The lower end portion of said rod is screwed into a fitting 9 which downwardly projects through a hole 10 centrally formed in said depressed sump and in turn screws into a lower fitting 11, disposed freely in a hole 12 in the cabinet top and clamped against the closure to hold the latter firmly on the cylinder. A pipe 13 extends rigidly downward from the fitting 11, and has its lower end set freely into a substantially V-shaped bracket 14 welded or riveted to the top of the cabinet. An oil passage 15 in the upper fitting has an inlet 16 and discharges into the pipe 13.

Rigidly secured to the cylinder 6 and outwardly projecting therefrom at an upward inclination are several rows of vertically spaced trough-shaped supports 17 for oil cans, such as indicated at 18, there being four such rows in the illustrated construction at ninety degree intervals. The upward divergency of said supports from the horizontal is preferably about thirty degrees. The radius of curvature, imparting trough form to said supports, is preferably slightly greater than that of a standard quart oil can. In the preferred manner of mounting the supports on the cylinder, the latter is formed with arcuate slits 19, the supports being inserted in such slits from within the cylinder and having terminal arcuate flanges 17a welded to the interior surface of the cylinder with a resultant high degree of rigidity, the proportions of said slits being adequate to admit draining oil.

In use of the described stand, when oil cans have been emptied of the main body of their contents they are disposed, as illustrated, on the supports 17 with their open or pierced ends abutting the cylinder. Residual oil in the cans may thus gradually seep out and flow through the arcuate slits 19 to accumulate in the described sump from which it flows through the inlet 16 to the passage 15, and down through the pipe 13 to finally drip into the vessel 5. While the salvage of oil thus efiected from each can is small, the aggregate in the course of a day may be considerable, particularly at a busy service station. The mounting of the can supports on the rotatable cylinder is an important time and labor saving feature, permitting any row of the supports to be quickly swung to the most accessible position. Any of said supports may serve as a handle for imparting rotation to the cylinder. It will be observed that the cylinder, with its central rod and fittings forms a complete assembly adapted for operative mounting on the cabinet merely by inserting the pipe 13 through the hole 12 in the cabinet top, and journaling it in the bracket 14.

What I claim is:

1. In a stand for draining liquids from their containers, a base having a top and an opening in such top and formed with a space beneath such top to accommodate a vessel for drained liquids, a hollow member surmounting and upstanding from said base and having a bottom closure rotatively seating on the base, a fitting rigidly carried by said closure and downwardly extending through said opening, and formed with a passage for drained liquids, such passage having an inlet above and adjoining said closure and having a downwardly directed outlet, a pipe downwardly extending from and carried by said fitting and communicating with said outlet, and a plurality of container supports exteriorly carried by and spaced circumferentially of the hollow member, such member being apertured in proximity to each support to deliver drain ing liquid into such member.

2. In a stand for drainingliquids from their containers, as set forth in claim 1, a cover surmounting the hollow "ice . member, and a rod interconnecting said closure and cover,

and maintaining their assembly with said hollow memher.

3. A stand for draining liquids from their containers as set forth in claim 2, said rod being connected to said closure by said fitting.

4. A stand for draining liquids from their containers, as set forth in claim 1, said closure having a depressed central portion forming a sump to receive draining liquids and alfording the closure its rotative seat on the base.

5. In a stand for draining liquids from their containers, a base having a top and an opening in such top and formed with a space beneath such top to accommodate a vessel for drained liquids, a hollow member surmounting and upstanding from said base and having a. bottom closure rotatively seating on the base, a pair of interconnected upper and lower fittings disposed respectively above and beneath'said closure and jointly forming a passage for draining oil, such passage having an inlet in the upper fitting above and'adjacent to said closure and having a downward directed outlet in the lower fitting, a cover surmounting the hollow member, a rod" interconnecting the cover and upper fitting and maintaining assembly of said ityto each support to deliver draining liquid into such member. a

e 6. In a stand for, draining liquids from their containers, a base having a top and formed with a space beneath such top to accommodate a vessel receiving drained liquids, a hollow member surmounting and upstanding from said base and having a bottom closure rotatively seating on the base, a fitting establishing a vertical axis for rotation of said hollow member on the base, such member and the base being respectively a supported and supporting member, said fitting being fixed on one of such members and projecting freely into the other, and having a liquid inlet above and adjoining the closure and having a downwardly directed outlet, a liquid discharge pipe fixed on and downwardly projecting from said fitting and communicating with said outlet, and a plurality of supports for liquid containers, such supports being extcriorly carried by the hollow member, such member being apertured in proximity to eachsuch support to deliver draining liquid into such member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

